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The History of the iPhone and a Look at the Future

The History of the iPhone and the iPhone 6

Apple revolutionized the smartphone market when the first iPhone hit the shelves, and the tech world never looked back. The vast majority of the phones on the market at the time were instantly made obsolete. Further iterations of the phone added new technologies and new designs, continually setting the bar for excellence in the industry. While the history of the iPhone does show that none of the models have been as revolutionary as the first, as to be expected with new tech, that same history shows that Apple has always worked to be on the cutting edge of the industry.

The Announcement

The history of the iPhone began in 2007, on January 9th, with a groundbreaking announcement from Steve Jobs. As Jobs put it, he was going to introduce an iPod that had touchscreen controls and a screen that covered the vast majority of the face of the device. He was also going to put out a revolutionary cellular phone. Finally, he was going to give the world a new type of device aimed at mobile Internet connectivity. With this groundwork laid, he then dropped the real bomb: He was not going to be putting out three different devices. He was just going to put out one that could do everything. In that moment, the iPhone was born.

Upgrading: More Power and a Lower Cost
If there is one thing that can be seen in the tech world, it is that having the newest technology often means paying more than it is technically worth. However, for the early history of the iPhone, the opposite was true. On June 9, of 2008, Apple announced the iPhone 3G, the next iteration of the popular phone. It was twice as fast as the first one, but you could get it for less. The screen size was the same, at 3.5 inches, but the storage capacity doubled from a 4GB base to an 8GB base. The 3G was also huge because it allowed for third party apps, which certainly changed the history of the iPhone.

A year later, on June 8th of 2009, Apple once again doubled the speed of the phone, presenting the model known as the 3GS. Jobs, who was gone for medical reasons, was not at the announcement himself, but it was true to his vision. The base storage space doubled, reaching a 16GB base, and the RAM totals doubled as well, hitting 256MB. The camera was also improved, switching from 2MP – which had been standard on the first two models – to 3MP. This clearly showed the way that phones were now taking over the miniature camera market, and Apple was reacting to what consumers wanted.

Jobs Returns

Steve Jobs came back for the announcement in 2010, and he let the world know about the newest phone, known as the iPhone 4. It stuck true to the initial design of the phone, but it was a serious upgrade. More than 100 features had been added, which could not be found on older phones. The camera was new, now hitting 5MP, the biggest increase to date. The storage space stayed the same, but the RAM totals doubled again to 512. The CPU could run at 800MHz. One of the most noticeable changes, though, was to the screen resolution. All of the previous phones had a resolution of 163ppi, but the iPhone 4 had a resolution of 326ppi. This upgrade was more groundbreaking than anything since the first announcement of the phone back in 2007.

A Minor Update: The 4S

The iPhone 4S was, technically speaking, the best iPhone in the world the moment it came out. However, many people looked at it as little more than a minor update. It added an 8MP camera, which was huge, but the base numbers for storage capacity, RAM and things of this nature stayed the same. The phone was also available in fewer countries than before. This was still a great phone, however, with Bluetooth 4.0 and many other features, but it did not advance the technology as much as the move to the iPhone 4 had done. For that type of update, fans would need to wait for the iPhone 5.

Changing the Game

The iPhone 5 changed everything in a very real sense; with a 4-inch LCD screen, it was the biggest phone to date. It was also lighter and thinner than previous phones, despite the increased screen size and resolution. The pictures and videos looked great thanks to the 8MP camera; it was incredibly fast with an entire gig of RAM. LTE speeds were impressive for increased performance. You could get it in 100 countries, setting a new high for the company. This was the phone everyone had wanted when the 4S came out, and it was certainly worth the wait.

Looking Forward: The iPhone 6

Some have said that no phone has been as highly anticipated as the iPhone 6. There have been rumors and lies all over the Internet for months. While no release date has been announced yet, it seems like the fall – perhaps September – of 2014 is most likely. It is also rumored to be a huge change in design, function, capability, and everything else. The iPhone 6 should easily outstrip all of the models before it and give consumers a phone the likes of which they have never seen on the market before.

Apple has put together a number of iPhone 6 prototypes, so exactly what will be released is still a mystery, but almost all rumors point to a larger screen, perhaps one as large as 5.5 inches. Apple has also invested in fingerprint technology, buying a company that specializes in it, so it is possible that this phone will use a fingerprint unlocking system or something along those lines. Furthermore, Apple patented a design for a wrap-around screen. They have not said that it is for the iPhone 6, but they patented it for a reason.

Swirling rumors include a 4.7-inch screen, a full HD display and gesture-based controls. Regardless of what is finally released, though, the iPhone 6 will undoubtedly set the bar once again.

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